“I’m finally feeling better, which is so nice,” Kristen said regarding the concussion she suffered after a crash while training last December. “The recovery process was very up and down. I thought I was good and then I went to team camp and I had to leave team camp early. From the team’s standpoint, it was better just to make sure I was fully recovered and not put a timeline on it, not put pressure on me to perform at any upcoming race. Just be 100 percent healthy and ready by the time I get back. I felt like I was allowed to let my body heal on its own timeline which is really important. I appreciate that the team said, ‘No pressure. Let’s let your body do what it’s going to do and we’ll put you in racing when you’re healthy.’ So I didn’t have any stress or pressure to get back to racing right away.”

While Kristen had initially hoped to return to racing sooner, she does see an upside to starting her season later than usual.

“It means I’ll have a better second half of the season. Normally, I’d come in and have a good classics campaign and this year I’m actually sitting out of the cobbled classics and focusing more on the Ardennes and the Vuelta. So, Milano-Sanremo will be a really good chance for me to get back in the peloton a little bit later than normal,” she said.

For her first race to be the inaugural modern edition of Milano-Sanremo just makes Kristen’s return to racing that much sweeter. She appreciates what it means to be part of history and recognizes its significance in the greater context of women’s sports.

“It’s a race I’ve really wanted to do since I heard it was going to happen this year. It’s just really exciting to be at Milano-Sanremo and be a part of the revived women’s edition. In my cycling career, I came into the sport at a really interesting time because there have been a lot of firsts: the first Paris-Roubaix, the first modern Tour de France, the first modern Milano-Sanremo. Every year there’s some new race added to the calendar and it’s really exciting to be a woman in cycling because of that. Having Milano-Sanremo added to the calendar just furthers the legitimacy and professionalization that’s happening in women’s sports. I’m really excited that I can be part of the first edition and part of the bigger movement that’s much greater than any individual’s performance on the bike,” Kristen said.

Making her 2025 debut at a race that no one has ever ridden before means no one can predict how the day will unfold, but Kristen takes the unknown in stride.

“There’s all the hype and all the excitement, but it’s also really good that I’m not a designated lead rider because I can have the pressure off while still wanting to go in full form, wanting to make it to the finale to help the team or do something really useful. I think having all the hype around it, being part of the first edition is super exciting. For me, it’s really motivating. It gives me something to work really hard for in training. I find I’m more motivated and more focused when I have a clear goal and so just having this on the calendar since last year and having it as a goal, regardless of my role, has been something that has been the light at the end of the tunnel from my concussion.”

Another reason for motivation is the strength of her teammates.

“Noemi Rüegg has clearly come into the season in really good form,” Kristen said. “To see Noemi do so well in Australia makes me really excited to support her because I feel like she’s ready to deliver. That’s really motivating for me because it makes me feel like if I can do my job, I’m really confident that she will do hers. It puts pressure on me but it’s also a good pressure. It’s a really motivating pressure. I feel like we can get a result if we execute really well.”

Looking ahead, Kristen sees opportunities for her to grow in her spring schedule.

“I’m doing Brabantse, Amstel, Liège, and then the Vuelta. The shorter climbs at the Ardennes are something I really like. Last year in the Liège stage at the Tour, I did pretty well. I’m trying to become a better climber and I think the Ardennes are a really good chance for me to practice those tough, shorter climbs, which is the climbing that I really like. And I haven’t gone through all the Vuelta stages yet but I know that the climbing stages are incredibly steep and hard. For me, I’m looking forward to going for stages at the Vuelta.”

With Kristen back to racing, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Milano-Sanremo

Brabantse Pijl

Amstel Gold Race

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

La Vuelta Femenina